I love this site. I really do. I love my country, also, just like you.
As it just so happens, my country is America.

Now, before you get out your swords+3 of fascist slaying, listen to me for a minute.

All I'm asking is that the "Amerikkka is teh devilllz!" stuff stop.

Please, by all means, criticize my nation's policies, my nation's leaders, but just try to remember that we're a nation of 300,000,000 and it's only natural that once in a while a total asshole will get elected to office, and said asshole doesn't speak for each and every one of us. Further, we're a democracy, and sooner or later, this asshole will be out the door. Additionally, we're a young nation, and are probably taking a lot of licks right now that other nations have already taken, learned from, and moved on.

There's good things, evil things and confusing things about just about every culture out there. I firmly believe this, and this is why I don't want to slag on your country of origin (wherever it may be), although no matter where you're from I'm pretty sure I could find some sort of dark underbelly to criticize and then generalize against your people.

I see many of you offering this same sort of perspective on other countries, and I commend you for it. Take for instance many of your opinions on North Korea: the North Koreans are people, just like you and I, that happen to have a total bastard in charge. That's commendable. You're not characterizing the North Koreans as a nation of drug-smuggling, counterfeiting saber-rattling nuclear cowboys intent on dominating Asia. You know why? It's because they're not. Kim Jong Il is. But his people aren't. Further, no one is calling for the utter annihilation of North Korea on this board - at least anyone that I've seen - reform? Yes! Destruction? No. Why? because they're people, and they probably want the same things you and I want: food, security and a safe place to raise their kids.

I just hope that you'll maybe consider applying some of the same logic to my country, which, again, I love just as much as you love your own.

Before anyone draws any conclusions, this thread isn't targeted at a specific individual, and I'm not really interested in starting a fight. I know for a fact that there are probably other Americans that feel exactly the same way that I do, but are probably wary to say so for fear of being labeled as some sort of nationalist or nutjob. If you're reading this, and you agree with me, it's fine if you don't want to chime in. I understand.

I hope that I won't get flamed to a crisp over this post. You guys are some of the smartest, most decent folks I've had an opportunity to electronically hobnob with in a long while, so I'm hoping that this won't be the case, but if you have to, then that's fine. I've said my piece.

Matt

You love your country? You must have a HUGE bed.

Hilarious!

Yeah, I love all the hot American Wimmenz....oh...and your wimmenz too.

Dude, I rather like America.  It has tons of good stuff going for it, not least the Dresden Dolls who are currently my favourite band.

American foreign policy currently pisses me off, and the attitudes of the religious right I think are fuckwitted, but disliking the country would put me in the position of disliking the land that gave us jazz, the blues and rock'n roll and that just is not happening.

As for loving my country, I don't love any country.  Mine is nice enough and I like it enough to stay, but I feel no special attachment otherwise.

I can completely respect that. We have our fair share of fuckwits over here, for sure.

The working class has no country.

Typical, another American whinging about how the world is oppressing him!

I wonder if the Romans every did. "Oh dear, why is it the Gauls hate us so? I do wish they'd stop. We're really rather nice people. Of course Caesar slaughtered and enslaved thousands of the Gauls, but is that any reason to hate us?"

I don't think the Romans whined quite so much.

Just suck it up and take it. You have 4% the world's population, and consume 25% of its resources. The price you pay for that is that the world hates you. Just harden up, grow a pair and take it.

:flameon2:

No one likes the top dog, fact of life.  I'll try to cope with the world's disdain by burning $2.00/gal gas in my un-smog-checked car as I drive to town to plunder the riches of the world.

Ain't hegemony a bitch?

Quote from: JimBobOzJust suck it up and take it. You have 4% the world's population, and consume 25% of its resources. The price you pay for that is that the world hates you. Just harden up, grow a pair and take it.

:flameon2:

Circuses would pay to show off a giant, talking penis.

Quote from: JimBobOzTypical, another American whinging about how the world is oppressing him!

I wonder if the Romans every did. "Oh dear, why is it the Gauls hate us so? I do wish they'd stop. We're really rather nice people. Of course Caesar slaughtered and enslaved thousands of the Gauls, but is that any reason to hate us?"

I don't think the Romans whined quite so much.

Just suck it up and take it. You have 4% the world's population, and consume 25% of its resources. The price you pay for that is that the world hates you. Just harden up, grow a pair and take it.

:flameon2:

Australia?
A) Nice job with the Aborigines.
B) "White Australia" Immigration policy

I'm remeinded of the words of Bill Hicks, who when asked if he was proud to be an American replied that he didn't have much say in the matter seeing as his parents just happened to fuck there.

I don't love my country.  I'm not even sure how that would feel. Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel and the Scotsman.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1cSngpUiow

I know its making fun, but I still like it.

Quote from: Mr. AnalyticalI'm remeinded of the words of Bill Hicks, who when asked if he was proud to be an American replied that he didn't have much say in the matter seeing as his parents just happened to fuck there.

I don't love my country.  I'm not even sure how that would feel. Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel and the Scotsman.

Dude, I'm Scottish and I assure you I have all the patriotism of a drunken gerbil.

The concept has never made the slightest sense to me.

All of you may hate American, but I've got to say that I come to this site as a way to talk shit about games and related topics. Make of it what you will, but if you manage to create a site that is redolent with hostility toward *any* nation or people, you're going to end up losing a lot of folks in the long run.

I've tried to be civil about this - I really have - except for pointing out Australia's vehemently racist past (shouldn't have done this) - and all I'm asking is for a place to come where I feel as welcome as the rest of you.

The hypocricy of some of you is astounding: I don't see a lot of posts ripping into China (big resource drain, abhorrent civil rights record, big player in insurrections and violence around the world), or any of the countries that seem to export nothing but violence and misogyny, or hell - your own countries: seeming like you all claim to be Citizens of the World, I'd expect for you to want to offer criticism about the countries where you currently reside (surely, they're not perfect, no?), instead, it's America, America, America.

And it's not about American policy or what-have-you, it's this "America is utterly evil" crap that some of you dig up.

I'm just saying how would you like it? I assume that you come here for the same reasons that I do, and probably hear enough about the world's problems offline.

If you wanted this site to be the free of Americans, you should have said so in the beginning. Now, I've gotten attached to the place, and am instead asking just a handful of you to knock it the fuck off, or at least tone it down a notch. Hell, if you're a German, it's not like I'm babbling on about the Nazis, the Holocause and the resurgence of that nation's skinhead movement, or if you're French, I'm not talking about the oppression of Muslim students and their headware choices in your schools, or if...if....see? It's ridiculous! I could literally go on, and on, and on.

Fuck, I don't even offer a Pro-American opinion. Why? Because that isn't the reason I come here. Again, for the love of whatever the hell you hold sacred, please try to tone it down just a lil' bit.

I have a compromise:  perhaps we can all unite to rip on Ghana for a while.  What the hell have they done for us lately?  That, or let's slam Nunavat.  Just where the hell do they get off having some measure of self-government?!  Give Nunavut back to the Narwhals!